The present invention relates to reflex sighting devices and more particularly to such devices having a low profile for attachment to small firearms such as handguns.
Optical sighting devices employing other than the simple cylindrical tube construction of telescopic sights have appeared in recent years and are typified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,439,970; 3,524,710; 3,645,635; and 3,836,263 as well as copending application Ser. Nos. 402,376 and 460,216 the last-mentioned application now U.S. Pat. No. 3,915,552. A mounting system for such devices having particular utility in conjunction with the present invention, is disclosed in copending application Ser. No. 562,498 entitled "Recoil Resistant Mounting System" filed on even date herewith. The disclosure of the last mentioned copending application is therefore specifically incorporated herein by reference.
The foregoing nontelescopic optical sights are not well suited to the handgun environment since they generally employ vertically superposed light pathways resulting in structure extending above the handgun a distance such as to be cumbersome and render holstering of the handgun difficult. The problem becomes more acute the further from the user's eye the sight is to be employed since for any given sighting opening the field of view is inversely proportional to the distance of the sight from the user's eye. That is to say, that to provide the same field of view when using a sight located more remote from the user's eye requires a larger sight opening resulting in an even larger and more cumbersome structure. Handgun sights are frequently employed at a pg,4 greater distance from the user's eye than similar sights on shoulder arms and therefore, on the very weapon where compactness is an important virtue, optical sights therefor suffer from the defect of being large and detract from the compact aspect of the weapon.